Check-assorting tray



I Jan. 15, 1929. 1,699,025-

G. w. scHuLz cr'mcx ASSORTING TRAY Filed April 21, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Jan. 15, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT O-FFICE.

GEORGE W. SCHULZ, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO YAWMAN 8t ERBE MANU- FACTURING 00., OF ROCHESTER, NETV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CHECK-ASSORTING TRAY.

Application filed April 21, 1926. Serial No. 103,664.

My invention relates to improvements in assorting or sorting trays, more particularly to an improved tray for use in assorting checks and similar small papers.

The general object of the invention is to provide a simple device for use in banks, department stores, and commercial institutions in asserting small papers such as checks, notes, drafts, deposit slips, sales slips, tickets, and similar business papers.

A further object is to provide a compact assorting tray in which papers may be placed so as to be clearly visible, easily removable, and which may be used to assort papers of various sizes.

A further object is ,to provide an assorting tray in which the sorted papers are protected against disturbance by winds and drafts.

Other objects will appear from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a vertical plane passing through the line 22 of Figure 1; and V Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on a vertical plane passing through the line 8-3 of Figure 1.

The ,tray as shown is adapted to be inserted in a drawer, but if desired, may be made as an integral partof the drawer, or as a separate portable unit. I prefer to construct the tray of my invention of thin sheet metal and join the parts by spot welding, but it will be apparent that other materials and other methods of constructing it may readily be employed without departure from the principle of my invention.

The tray is composed of side sheets 4 and 5, front sheet 6, and rear sheet 7, the latter being serrated at its upper edge, the serrations being bent forward slightly from the vertical. These sheets are joined at their ends by spot welded flanges to form a rectangular frame. The side, front and rear sheets are flanged inwardly at their bottom edges as at 4% 5 6 and 7 to form a base for the tray and strengthen the construction. The top edges of the front 6 and sides 4 and 5 are turned over as shown at 4?, 5 and 6 to re-enforce the sheets and form smooth edges. Two longitudinal serrated plates 8 having flanges 8 at their lower edges are secured between the sides at an angle incllned slightly from, the vertical, as is best shown in Fig. 3.

Each rear row of pockets is formed by a plurality of rectangular sheets 9 bent at an acute angle having their front flanged edges abutting and welded to the longitudinal plates 8 so as to secure the sheets 9 perpendicular to the plates 8. The rear flanged edges of the sheets 9 fit over and are welded ,to the 'serratures of the rear sheet 7. As is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, each sheet 9 is positioned so as to have one surface 9 vertical and the other surface 9 sloping downwardly at an angle to the right (Fig. 2) and toward the front (Fig. Each sheet 9 has an upwardly turned flange 9 which is welded to the lower edge of the vertical portion 9 of the adjacent sheet, the end sheets 9 being welded to the sides 4 and 5 respectively. Y

The middle row is similarly secured between the ,two longitudinal plates 8, While the front row is likewise secured between the longitudinal sheet 8 and the front sheet- 6. The lower portion of the front sheet 6 is bent backward so asto lie parallel to the longitudinal plates 8 and perpendicular to the pocket sheet 9. Itwill be noted that since the bottoms 9 of the pockets slope in two directions, they form secure resting places for checks, papers or other small articles being sorted.

This disposition of the pocket bottoms 9 also effects a conservation of space and thus ,the number of piles which can be placed within convenient reach of the person sorting is substantially increased. The fact that the pockets do not have walls on two sides makes them capable of receiving papers larger than ,the actual size of the pockets, that is, the sorted piles may overlap some what without inconvenience or confusion. Since the pockets are thus closely placed together, a minimum of movement is required in placing the papers in the various pockets. Papers may be readily removed from the pockets due to their angular position and also to the elimination of side walls on two of their sides.

The sides of the frame and also the angular setting of the pockets prevent winds and drafts from scattering the papers being sorted. Since the tray is adapted for insertion in a drawer, it may be put out of the way when not in use or when the person sorting the papers is forced to leave his work temporarily.

While the form of tray herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, all coming within the scope of the appended claims. The term pocket as used in this specification and the accompanying claims does not refer to the hole, an abstract, intangible element, but to the compartment defined by its bottom and side walls.

I claim 1. An assorting tray comprising a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each pocket consisting of a rectangular bot-tom sloping downwardly in two directions with respect to the top of the tray, and two side walls eX- tending upwardly from the two lower edges of the bottom respectively.

2. An assorting tray comprising a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, the bottoms of the pockets sloping downwardly in two directions, the bottom of one pocket being in the same plane as the bottom of another pocket in the adjacent longitudinal and adjacent transverse row.

8. An insert for a drawer comprising a frame supporting a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each pocket having a bottom sloping clownwardly in two directions with respect to the top of the tray and two sides joined to its lower edges, one of said sides lying in a vertical plane and the other side lying in a plane perpendicular to the bottom.

t'ln a device or" the class described, a plurality of pockets lying in a horizontal plane, each pocket including a bottom sheet sloping downwardly in two directions, a vertical side sheet secured to one of the lower edges of the bottom, and a second side sheet secured to the other lower edge of the bottom and lying in a plane perpendicular to the bottom.

5. An assorting tray comprising a frame, and a plurality of sheets bent at an acute angle supported therein to form pockets, the one side of each of said sheets being vertically disposed so as to form a side wall of one pocket, the other side being disposed at two angles with respect to the top of the tray to form the bottom of the adjacent pocket.

6. An assorting tray comprising a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each pocket being composed of only three intersecting plane sheets.

7. An assorting tray having a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, the corresponding points of the pockets lying in a plane, and the bottom of each pocket sloping in two directions with respect to said plane.

8. An asserting tray having a plurality of similar pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each pocket having a bottom wall and two side walls, the bottom wall of each pocket, at one of its sides er;- tending to the upper edge of a side wall of an adjacent pocket, and at another of its sides extending to the upper edge of a side wall of another adjacent pocket.

9. An asserting tray comprising a frame, a plurality of sheets bent at acute angles to form pockets, one side of each of said sheets being vertically disposed so as to form a side wall of one pocket, the other side being disposed at an angle to both said wall and said frame to form the bottom of a pocket having one corner in the plane of the upper edge of said side wall.

10. Means for sorting a large number checks in a small space which comprises a set of pockets, each pocket being formed by three intersecting sides, forming an inner corner, the pockets being arranged so that the sides of each pocket are parallel to the corresponding sides of every other'pocket, the sides of adjacent pockets intersecting to form outer corners.

11. A sorter for checks or the like, consisting of a series of pockets formed by bottom walls arranged in staggered relation and sloping in two directions with reference to the top of the sorter, and by lateral walls extending from each of the two lower edges'of the bottom walls, the bottoms being left unconfined at their upper edges to permit their reception of papers longer iind wider than their bottom walls.

12. In combination with a plurality of parallel serrated plates, a plurality of sheets bent at an acute angle and securedto said plates to form an asserting tray comprisin a plurality of pockets arranged in longitudinal and transverse rows, each pocket being composed of only three inter secting plane sheets.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 15th day of April, 1926.

GEORGE W. SCHULZ. 

